Crete in the southern Aegean generally isn't a place you'd associate with ice or snow, except in the highest places such as Mounts Dikte and Ida, but lo and behold, just last week I came across this recent photo from lowland Knossos:


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I'm always on the lookout for interesting documentaries about volcanoes, the ancient world, lost civilizations, etc.  And since I'm a sucker for anything having to do with the Aegean Bronze Age, I was happy to find this little gem on YouTube ( Read more... )

Because Theran ash is sometimes used in the making of concrete, unexpected treasures that don't come from Akrotiri occasionally turn up on Santorini.

Case in point, this amazing impression of olive leaves preserved between layers of volcanic ash.

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The easternmost palace of Minoan Crete, Zakros was smaller than the other palace/administrative centers at Knossos, Phaistos, and Mallia.  By land, Zakros is very remote, in a part of Crete that was never heavily populated to begin with, but with its proximity to the sea via its main northern gate, Zakros probably acted as a hub for trade from the ( Read more... )

Now I love me some historical docudramas with goofy recreations, but it's taken me a while to post my observations and reaction to this particular, Minoan-themed BBC docudrama, mostly because I'm not sure what to make of it.  BBC has done some superb docudramas on ancient events, most notably 2003's Pompeii: The Last Day, but Atlantis as it aired ( Read more... )

A reconstruction of the fresco found in the Room of the Lilies in Akrotiri, Santorini. A vision of Theran spring--lilies growing among volcanic rocks, and two swallows cavorting above--before the eruption completely sterilized the island.


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Akrotiri was once a thriving large town on Santorini/Thera.  It was a Minoan outpost, which was buried under a thick layer of ash and pumice, cocooning the buildings and their contents from the pyroclastic surges of the 1628 B.C. Theran eruption.

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In my earlier article on the Thera eruption of 1628 B.C., I mentioned tsunami deposit layers at sites along the north coast of Crete.  Here is a deposit layer from Palaikastro in northeastern Crete.  The colored material you see is jumbled pottery, animal bones, bits of frescoes, and other debris from the tsunami which slammed into the town; the ( Read more... )

Thera, also known as Santorini, is the southernmost of the Cyclades Islands, and sits like a croissant in the Aegean some seventy miles north of Crete.  It is a favorite among photographers, and its blinding white buildings and blue rooftops can often be seen in travel brochures hugging the sheer cliffs against a brilliant blue sea and sky; it ( Read more... )

A charming young saffron gatherer from Akrotiri:


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